Aston Villa face a challenging task in the Premier League this weekend as they welcome Manchester United to Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Lions lost 3-1 to Chelsea to get knocked out of the FA Cup on Wednesday, while their Manchester rivals cruised past West Ham United 3-0 in their previous league outing.
Match Preview
Aston Villa were regarded as Premier League title contenders at one point following their home victories over Manchester City and Arsenal in December.
But things haven’t been very positive for Unai Emery’s men since as they have won just two of their previous six league matches.
A top-four finish is still in their hands as they sit fourth in the Premier League standings with 46 points from 23 games.
But their recent performances have been very disappointing for fans, who watched their side losing 3-1 to Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth-round replay earlier this week.
Mauricio Pochettino’s young team completely dominated the Villa Park encounter and sealed a comfortable win, thanks to Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez’s efforts.
Aston Villa will look to bounce back this weekend but face a resurgent Manchester United side, who have seen an upturn in form following the arrival of some key players from injuries.
After the 2-2 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, the Red Devils have won three matches on the spin, with their most recent success coming against West Ham United at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s men eased past their London rivals after a Rasmus Hojlund opener and Alejandro Garnacho brace, with the result pulling them up to sixth in the league table.
But they still find themselves an incredible eight points behind the Champions League places.
United need a spectacular run of form to get back in contention for a top-four finish.
Team News
Aston Villa’s January signing Morgan Rogers was ineligible to play for the FA Cup match, but he will be available for the team this weekend. Manager Unai Emery has several players out injured, including Ezri Konsa, Tryone Mings, Emiliano Buendia, and Jhon Duran.
As for United, Lisandro Martinez is set to be sidelined for a long spell after he came off injured against West Ham in a disappointing Man Utd news. Joining the Argentine will be Anthony Martial, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who are all recovering from knocks.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United potential line-ups
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Torres, Lenglet, Moreno; Luiz, Kamara; Diaby, Tielemans, McGinn; Watkins
Manchester United: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Shaw; Mainoo, Casemiro; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
How to Watch?
Fans of football can stream Premier League matches live, including Aston Villa vs Manchester United.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United prediction
Confidence in the Villa camp is likely to be low following successive 3-1 defeats to Newcastle United and Chelsea on home soil. But we are backing them to produce a better performance on Sunday against Manchester United. However, that will likely only be enough to earn them a draw.
Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United
